


To Hold My Child In My Arms

by HellsLittleLiar



Category: Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson, 楽しいムーミン一家 | Moomin (Anime 1990)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-06-29 19:37:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19837138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HellsLittleLiar/pseuds/HellsLittleLiar
Summary: Joxter discovers that he has a son, and goes out to search for him, but...will he find him? And if he does, will his son forgive him for not being there?





	1. Chapter 1

Joxter stared at the Mymble in pure astonishment. "A son? I have a son?"

"Yes, of course, I must have mentioned him before."

"No... No, you never mentioned him to me."

Mymble shrugged and poured some lemonade on a pair of fighting children. "Oh, well, his name is Snufkin. He must be around twelve or thirteen summers now."

"Snufkin." Joxter breathed. "What a wonderful name. May I see him? Please?"

"Of course, dear, you'll just need to find him first."

Joxter stood up, and scanned their surroundings. "Hup. Pfft. Of course I'll find him. Is he around here?"

"Oh, no, he left a few years ago, saying he wanted to be alone. He comes back to visit on ocassion but he hasn't been by in a while. A couple of years, I think?"

"Years? He's been gone years? Aren't you worried? I- you- we should have been looking after him! He's gone? Anything could have happened to him! He's just a child... What if he's lost? What if he's hurt? What if he's dea-"

Mymble stood up, towering above him, and poured lemonade over Joxter's head. He hissed in surprise as he was soaked through with the sticky, yellow drink. She emptied the entire jug over him, while Joxter stood still and accepted his fate. 

"My dear, don't be so frantic. He takes after his father you know, he's an adventurous young man, with an independent spirit. He wasn't happy here. Snufkin much prefers to be alone and to be travelling around. You sound as though you never went on adventures in your youth!"

"But I wasn't alone! There was four of us and that included Hodgkins! What if Snufkin gets hurt? Who takes care of him when he's sick? What if he gets into trouble? Who will get him out of it?"

"Snufkin is incredibly clever and resourceful, you should know. When he gets himself into trouble, he's perfectly capable of getting himself out of it. Although if it truly panics you so much, why don't you go find him?"

"Yes, of course I'll track him down. Mymble, my love, do you know where he would be."

"No, I don't, my dear, but perhaps you could ask Ms Emma at the acting school."

"Acting school?" Joxter questioned. He had never imagined one of the Mymble's children to attend a school. "He's an actor?"

Mymble threw back her head and let out a booming laugh. "An actor! Snufkin! Can you imagine? No, my dear, he's simply friends with the children there. He told me how he met them last time he was here. It's quite an interesting story, one I think you'll like. You should ask him about it when you meet him."

"Then, where is this acting school?"

"Just a few day's North of here. If you follow the dirt path, you'll find a theatre and that's where the school is."

Joxter shook his head. "Hup. Pfft. A school. What a ridiculous concept, sending children to a school."

"I know, my dear, some people just have no idea how to raise children."

Joxter decided to begin his journey immediately, hoping to find and reunite with his son as soon as he possibly could.


	2. Chapter 2

Joxter walked for longer than he liked before he napped. Then he walked some more. Mumriks needed to sleep about twice as much as mymbles did, so it took Joxter a few days longer than the Mymble's estimate before he arrived at the acting school.

He was greeted with a hand painted sign that read "Emma's Acting School" sat above a large door. Joxter knocked on the door. If these people knew where his son was, he didn't want to upset them and risk them refusing to tell him. In any other situation, Joxter would have just broken in and dealt with the consequences later. Or simply avoided the consequences altogether. 

"Hello? Can I help you?" A fillyjonk opened the door with a broom in hand, which had never worked out well for Joxter before.

"Good afternoon, ma'am. I'm out looking for someone, his name is-"

"SNUFKIN!" A chorus of voices interrupted him and Joxter suddenly felt his back hit the ground, as several small something's collided with his front. 

The faces of around twenty tiny children dropped in disappointment, one after the other. One young boy that sat on Joxter's chest stared down at him disdainfully. "You're not Snufkin."

Joxter chuckled softly. "Hup. Pfft. I do not recall saying I was, little one."

"Children!" The woman gasped in horror. "Get off him at once! Pushing people over is not very nice."

"Snufkin says that rules are stupid." One child protested, with the others agreeing. 

"Well, I imagine Snufkin wouldn't like it if you pushed him over."

The children looked abashed as they scrambled off Joxter's chest, allowing him to stand up and laugh. "It is not a worry, ma'am, they're just playing as children do. My dear stepdaughters have done much worse to me."

"Oh my."

"So," He addressed the children. "Snufkin, you know him?"

"Yes!" They chorused.

"Snufkin is the one who gave them to me to look after." The fillyjonk told him.

"Ah, so you must be Ms Emma?"

"Yes, this is my acting school. I run it along with my niece, whose popped out for some errands. Now, who is it you're looking for?"

"Coincidentally, Miss Emma, I'm looking for Snufkin. He's my son, you see, but his mother hasn't seen him for a while and I'd like to find out if he's safe."

"Of course! He visits a couple of times a year to see the children. They're very fond of him."

"I could tell, ma'am. Would you be able to tell me where he is now?"

"I'm afraid not, but he usually leaves to the East of here, through the Forest of Witches."

"Thank you, Ms Emma. I have another question, out of simple curiosity; how did my son come across so many children all at once."

"I don't know. You'll have to ask the children about that."

"Hup. Pfft. I think I will." Joxter agreed easily, and sat back down on the floor, allowing the children to climb all over him. Emma walked away and began forcefully brushing the floor, blowing up dust clouds which didn't seem to bother her.

"Hello, little ones, how did you meet Snufkin?" 

"He rescued us!" One shouted. 

"Stole!" Another laughed. "He stole us!"

"From a park keeper! The park keeper didn't want us anyway."

"Never let us play." 

"Didn't let us walk on the grass."

"An' he was a meanie!"

"So Snufkin gave him electric shocks!"

Joxter laughed. What a nonsense story. He would have to ask Snufkin about it when he finally meets him, if Snufkin agreed to talk to him at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: I climbed up Mt Vesuvius today! I'll probably do some writing tomorrow because I certainly won't be walking anywhere lol
> 
> -
> 
> This chapter is a cute one but next chapter is angst-ridden so be prepared!


	3. Chapter 3

_Joxter stood in a dark hallway, alone except for a small figure in the distance, facing away from him. The pitch black was completely unfamiliar, as Joxter's eyes were designed for seeing in the dark. The darkness pressed around him heavily, as though physically crushing him from all sides. He tried to call out to the figure in the distance but no sound escaped from his mouth. The small figure turned around to face him anyway and Joxter was greeted with the unwelcome sight of his own face, only younger, more scared, with eyes filled with tears._

_"Daddy, why don't you love me?"_

_Of course I love you!_

_"Why did you leave me, daddy?"_

_I didn't know you existed! I would have stayed if I knew!_

_"Daddy... I hate you." The child's eyes narrowed and darkened, suddenly void of any tears at all._

_No, no, please, please forgive me. I'll do anything. Please forgive me._

_Joxter sobbed out loud, the first noise he had managed to make at all since the darkness had crushed his lungs down._

_"I could never forgive you. You really think I want to see you, after you abandoned me? You're pathetic."_

_Joxter flinched, upset and hurt, but feeling as though he deserved it. He curled in on himself, clutching at his stomach, then found himself on the floor. His side pressed against cold, hard tiles and a harsh breeze blew past him. Joxter flinched at the sharp, biting cold and squeezed his eyes shut._

_Then he opened them again. He was standing at the river, outside of the Mymble's house. Mymble watched him from the doorway, for once not smiling at all. Joxter looked down at his arms and found he was cradling a small kitten. It was a soft, fluffy black kitten that stared back up at him with wide brown eyes._

_Joxter could not control his own body, as he grabbed the tiny kitten by the throat. It mewled at him helplessly as he dunked it in the water over and over and over again. Joxter sobbed as he let go of the kitten. It landed in a basket on the river and sailed away downstream. Suddenly Joxter could once again move his arms, although his legs were stuck to the ground. He reached out as far as he could, stretching to grab onto the basket but it was too far away. Joxter kept reaching reaching reaching-_

Joxter yelped as he lurched forward out of the tree. He managed, just barely, to twist his body around and landed lightly on his feet. Joxter looked around him and gladly noted that nobody had seen him.

Joxter curled up at the base of the tree trunk and closed his eyes again, but he knew he wouldn't sleep again tonight. He felt his stomach drop and his lip wobbled. Joxter forced his eyes to remain dry. He would save the tears until real life Snufkin shouted at him in anger and demanded to never see him again. Joxter couldn't see how their meeting would go any other way. Snufkin had been alone for so long - he'd probably be raging that his father who abandoned him suddenly wanted to be in his life.

That is, if Snufkin was still alive and hadn't been killed by the wilderness. Joxter shook off that thought and, suddenly, upsettingly, found the thought of Snufkin being angry at him a lot more reassuring than just moments ago.

Joxter was going to find Snufkin and Snufkin would tell at him to get out of his life, most probably, but he would still be alive and well. Joxter would do anything for his son that he'd never even met, even if that meant never meeting him again. Of course, Joxter would just have to check up on him from far away without Snufkin noticing anything at all. As long as his son was safe, Joxter would be happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you don't mind the daily updates. I'm just excited because the whole thing is finished and the chapters aren't very long :)


	4. Chapter 4

Joxter cautiously made his way through the Forest of Witches, picking past protruding tree roots and creaking branches. He had never met a witch before so didn't have any opinions formed on them yet, but if they were as scary and unwelcoming as this forest, he was certain he wouldn't like them.

"Excuse me, sir, are you lost?" A young girl's voice called out from behind him, making him jump and spin around to look at her. She was a small thing, perhaps ten or eleven summers old, with long red hair and a round face. She carried a basket full of herbs.

"Hup. Pff. That depends on your definition of lost, young miss."

"Well, I'd say it's not knowing where you are."

"I am in the Forest of Witches, am I not?"

"Yes, that's right!"

Joxter nodded his head at her basket. "Aren't you a little young to be a witch?"

"It takes seven or eight years to study to be a witch. I'm still training. Aren't you a little old to be lost in the woods?"

He grabbed at his chest dramatically, as though his heart suddenly hurt greatly, and staggered backwards. "Old! Lost! Never mind that, hurt is what I am! How could a nice young girl say such a thing?"

The girl covered her mouth as she giggled. When she finished laughing she said; "People don't tend to travel through this forest. They're too afraid of witches, so they go over the mountains instead."

"Is that so?" Joxter mused.

"So why did you not go over the mountains?"

"I am searching for my son. I have been told he comes through this forest on ocassion. Perhaps you have seen him?"

The girl considered it. "I think the only person who travels through here regularly is my friend Snufkin when he goes South for the winter."

Joxter's mouth dropped open. Snufkin? Could it be his Snufkin? That would be a suspiciously lucky coincidence if it was. Only the second time he'd stopped to talk to someone and they also knew his son? 

"My son is also named Snufkin." Joxter whispered.

"Oh! We might know the same Snufkin! What does your son look like?"

Joxter felt his face heat up and he avoided the young girl's gentle gaze. 

"Oh, I see." She said and took his paw in her hand, turning it over to look at the pads. "It is not your fault, Mr Joxter, even if you blame yourself."

He almost asked how she knew his name or his troubles before he remembered he was talking to a witch, even if she claimed she was only in training. The young girl led him by the paw to a long, winding path that followed through the trees. He hadn't seen it, despite how close it was, when he first entered the forest and he was certain it was part of the forest's magic. 

"Follow this path and you'll find Snufkin, Mr Joxter. My name is Alicia. Please tell him I said hello."

"Of course, Miss Alicia, I'll say hello for you when I meet him."

She smiled. "I know you will." And when Joxter turned around to look at her again, she had disappeared back into the dark canopy of trees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if you liked it ;)
> 
> I think this chapter is a little shorter than the others, so sorry about that! Hope you enjoyed it anyway!


	5. Chapter 5

Joxter stared at the beautiful valley in front of him, still covered with patches of sparkling white snow, with grass and flowers blooming in the spaces between. Moomin Valley. Of all places he could end up, it was the home of his old friend Moomin. Was this where Snufkin lived now? He cursed himself for not keeping track of the seasons, as he remembered that moomins hibernated in the winter.

As Joxter approached the tall, round blue house, Moomin flung open the door and greeted him with wide open arms.

"Joxter! My dear old friend! How are you? Come in, come in, Moominmamma has put some coffee on inside!"

Moomin gathered him up into a warm, enthusiastic hug which Joxter returned as much as he could. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"Hup. Pfft. That's a little bit of a long story, Moomin."

"Come in, dears, the coffee is ready. You can talk at the table." Moominmamma called from the kitchen.

They all stepped inside and sat around the table. "It turns out my dear Mymble and I have a son and I'm out looking for him. I only found out about him a few weeks ago and Mymble hasn't seen him for two years. A little witch in the forest told me that I'd find him at the end of the path she showed me and the path lead me here."

"Oh, you must have met Alicia. She's such a nice young girl, friends with my son."

"You have a son now, too, Moomin?"

"Yes, its Moominpappa now!" 

"Hup. Pfft. Congratulations! I suppose that makes all of our old friends fathers...except for old Hodgkins, of course."

Moominmamma kindly did not point out that Hodgkins had been far too busy raising them to ever have his own children. Joxter sighed and fiddled with the tablecloth.

"Moomin...pappa... Would you help me find my son?"

Moominpappa leapt to his feet and gestured grandly. "Of course I will! It'll be an adventure, just like in our youths! Only a little closer to home."

"Joxterpappa," Moominmamma interrupted, then continued as Joxter appeared to choke on his own tongue. "What's your son's name?"

"His name is Snufkin."

"Snufkin?"

"Snufkin?" 

The moominparents spoke at the same time. 

"Ye-es?"

"That's wonderful!" Moominmamma cheered, as Moominpappa looked disappointed. "Don't look so upset, dear, you shall just have to find a different adventure."

"You're right, as usual, Moominmamma."

"You two know my son?" Joxter asked, feeling for all intents and purposes as though he was interrupting an incredibly private flirtation between a newly courting couple. 

"Oh, yes, dear. Your Snufkin is best friends with our little Moomin."

"Then you know where he is!?"

"Ah, not quite. You see he goes in search of his own adventures during the winter while Moomin hibernates, but he usually comes back in the spring."

Joxter quietly contemplated this for a couple of minutes. "It is spring now, I believe. Why else would you have woken up from your hibernation already?"

Moominmamma patted his hand reassuringly. "Don't worry, dear, it's only the very first day of spring. He can take a while sometimes, although that doesn't stop Moomin from waiting for him as soon as he wakes up." She laughed, as Moominpappa chuckled.

"They're close, then?"

"I don't want to alarm you, my friend, but once they're a little older I'm expecting a wedding invitation."

"Ah. I see."

Joxter stared into the middle distance. He wanted to hear everything about his son, he wanted to get to know him so badly, but he wanted to hear it from Snufkin, himself. "When do you think he'll return?" 

He was certain he could find a very nice tree to take an extended nap in until his son returned. He hoped Snufkin wouldn't be too angry with him, or would at least be willing to let him work towards forgiveness. Joxter may not have known he had a son, but that shouldn't have stopped him from visiting Mymble so infrequently that she forgot to tell him he had a child. Joxter had no excuses for the abandonment, as far as he was concerned.

"We will set you up in the guest room, Joxter." Moominmamma told him.

"You don't need to-"

"You're not sleeping in a tree. You're sleeping in the bed in the guest room." 

Joxter would usually argue with anyone giving him orders, but, as with Ms Emma, he did not want to do anything that would stop him from being able to meet his son. Moominmamma brought her hand to her snout and, as though reading his mind, said. "Oh, oops, sorry, dear, it completely slipped my mind." She cleared her throat. "Absolutely do sleep in a tree, you're not welcome in the guest room and don't you dare join us for dinner tonight."

Joxter allowed a fond, lazy smile to unfurl over his face. It was good to be amongst friends once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uwu Joxter's getting closer to finding his baby boyyy


	6. Chapter 6

Joxter met the young Moomin the next morning, when he barrelled down the stairs and yelled happy spring into the kitchen and froze in place when he realised it was not his mamma standing there. Joxter crouched at the stove, staring into the bubbling stew with large, entranced eyes. His tail flicked lazily as he watched the ingredients stir around the pot.

"Hup. Pfft. Happy spring, little Moomin." Joxter said, as he brought his paw up, ready to strike. He yowled in disappointment as it was batted away by a wooden spoon before he could ruin the stew. 

"Happy spring, Moomin." A recently returned from the garden Moominmamma greeted him. "This is your pappa's old friend, Joxter."

"Oh! But why are you here so early? We only just finished hibernating, you know."

"Moomin!" Moominmamma scolded, gently. "Don't be rude."

Joxter waved her off. "Its alright, Moominmamma. I'm not a big fan of manners, myself. Little Moomin, why did you sleep an extra day after your parents if you're supposed to wake up in spring?"

Moomin blushed and mumbled, "I didn't realise it was spring." 

Joxter laughed. "There is the answer to your own question, little Moomin. I also did not realise it was spring."

"Oh! Really? I thought it would be easier to tell if you're awake."

"Hup. Pfft. Well... I am so rarely awake."

Moomin blinked at him, confused at the conversation and not very happy about it. When he didn't get any further answers from Joxter, he turned to his mamma. "Have you seen Snufkin yet?"

He didn't notice Joxter freeze and pay sudden close attention to the conversation.

"No, dear, you know he always gifts you a song when he comes back to Moomin Valley."

"I know...I just thought... Maybe this year...I might have missed it." Moomin admitted shyly. "Since I slept through the first day of spring."

Moominmamma laughed. "And am I to believe the first thing you did when you woke up wasn't to check whether Snufkin was here?"

Moomin scuffed his foot against the floor and held his hands behind his back. "I just...wanted to make sure I didn't miss him."

"Miss him?" Moominmamma teased. "In the twenty seconds it took you to throw yourself down the stairs?"

"No! I-I mean... Did I miss him, you know, yesterday?"

Moominmamma softened, as Joxter looked between them, ignored. "Oh, sweetheart, did you think he came back and left without waking you up?"

Moomin nodded, shyly. Joxter frowned, confused.

"Why would he do that?"

"Well...he wouldn't, I don't think.'

"Then why are you so worried, little Moomin?"

"No reason, really. I just get scared sometimes that Snufkin's going to find somewhere more interesting than Moomin Valley and he'll never come back and what if he found somewhere but decided to come back but changed his mind last minute and I wasn't awake to try and convince him to stay?"

Joxter stared. Moomin took a deep breath, then looked at the ground by his feet. "Sorry that was stupid, don't worry about- never mind."

Joxter stalked towards Moomin, then leant down slightly in front of him so they could look at each other in the eye. "Are you having forebodings?"

Moomin stepped back and eyed him suspiciously. "What's a foreboding?"

"Its a feeling in your whiskers-"

"I don't have whiskers."

"-or your stomach or your paws-"

Moomin's paws dropped to his stomach, holding it as though it hurt.

"-that something absolutely, dreadfully catastrophic is about to happen."

Moomin shook his head frantically. "No, it isn't like that at all! I don't feel as though something is about to happen, or even that anything catastrophic is happening at all. I just get worried about Snufkin while he's travelling all alone out there."

"If you're so worried, why not go with him?'

"Oh, he won't let me. He prefers to travel alone." Moomin sighed.

Oh dear, that didn't bode well for Joxter's plan of getting to know his son on the road. He would have to stay in Moomin Valley for a while. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Joxter has finally met... Moomin! Yay! This is exactly what we've all been waiting for lol


	7. Chapter 7

A gentle, beautiful melody woke Joxter up from his peaceful sleep and respectfully tipped him into a delightful mood. The music seemed to fill the valley with a lazily joyful mood that one couldn't help but be swept up in. What a wonderful way to wake up. He could spend the morning laying in the soft, cushy bed and dozing to the sound of the gentle song lulling him back to sleep.

"SNUFKIN!" Joxter jumped as Moomin yelled from his room across the hall. "SNUFKIN!"

Joxter's throat felt dry as he suddenly felt anxiety crawling up it.

There was a cacophony of noises from Moomin's room - a rustle of bedsheets, a window latch being flung roughly open, a scrambling to climb down a rope ladder. 

Joxter listened to this accompaniment of sounds and thought that, somehow, they helped the song rather than ruined it. As if the songwriter wrote it with this exact routine in mind. As if the musician knew they would not be a solo act. Joxter wondered if Snufkin had wrote the song, himself. He hadn't known Snufkin could play an instrument - nobody had mentioned it, except Moominmamma when she reminded Moomin that Snufkin always came back with a song for him. Joxter had assumed that, since they were young lovers, the song would be sung to Moomin under his bedroom window. It was the traditional method of wooing, after all. That was how Joxter wooed Mymble, anyway. The first time and every time he returned to her.

He lightly tiptoed across the hall and sneaked a peak out of Moomin's bedroom window. Moomin was standing at the bridge, leaning on the railing, as a young mumrik dressed in green sat on top of the railing and seranaded him with a beautiful song. Joxter couldn't blame Moomin for being unable to tear his eyes away.

Snufkin was too far away to see much of his features but Joxter squinted to parse out anything he could find. Snufkin wore a hat just like his, only green and a green coat to match. He had a yellow scarf wrapped around his neck and a pair of brown boots laced onto his feet. Joxter's tail twitched. Was that outfit warm enough? He bit his lip. It didn't seem to have many layers and Joxter, himself, got cold very easily, as did the Mymble who always wore her fur coat. Could he not afford a warmer coat? Didn't he know he could just steal one from a washing line, if he was incredibly quiet and sneaky about it? Did Snufkin not know how to sneak? That was something Joxter should have been there to teach him.

Joxter could not see Moomin's expression, but by his body language, he could guess that Moomin's face matched his own when he first laid eyes on his darling Mymble. As Snufkin finished his song, he turned around and hopped down onto the bridge. He looked to be a few inches taller than Moomin. He tucked his harmonica into his coat pocket and said something to Moomin which Joxter couldn't hear. Moomin bounced excitedly and grabbed onto one of Snufkin's arms with both paws. They had a short conversation, none of which Joxter could hear, before Moomin dropped his paws to Snufkin's own and tugged him along into the thicket of trees.

Joxter stared at the empty space where his son- his son!- had been moments before. Snufkin! His baby! Or not a baby anymore. But his child, still. If Snufkin wanted to be his child. Joxter's entire body filled with trepidation and excitement. He was finally going to meet Snufkin and would likely be yelled at and asked strongly to leave, but if he was lucky, Snufkin would forgive him and then they could be family. He could finally love his son as much as he deserved to be loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting this in the morning because I'm flying back home this afternoon! :)


	8. Chapter 8

Moomin returned home in the early evening, after what must have been an exciting first adventure of the year with Snufkin. His eyes were wide and bright and quite obviously brimming with an untold story that he wanted to tell and Joxter did truly want to hear it. But Joxter wanted something else a lot more desperately- that was to finally meet his son.

Joxter approached Snufkin cautiously, as though trying not to frighten away a nervous fieldmouse or an anxious Muddler. Snufkin sat on the riverbank, completely relaxed with his head leaning on his hands and his eyes lazily tracking Joxter's movements. His fishing rod sat next to him, trapped on the ground by a rock. Snufkin did not pay it any mind and so Joxter ignored it also.

"Hup. Pfft. Hello there, I'm the Joxter." The Joxter introduced himself, as he curled up on the ground next to Snufkin as if he were a cat.

"Hello, Joxter. I'm Snufkin." Snufkin introduced himself, then returned to staring blankly at the river without any expression on his face. 

Joxter watched him, unblinkingly for a while and Snufkin, unblinkingly, watched the river in turn. They sat like that, in peaceful silence, for a long while. Any onlooker would not have realised, but they both enjoyed the quiet company of the other, despite one being slightly more in the know about their exact relationship to each other. 

Snufkin caught a fish, cooked and ate it. He did not offer Joxter any, which was perfectly fine, as he had dropped in on him unannounced and hadn't explained his intentions. Joxter caught a fish and ate it raw. He did not offer Snufkin any, which was perfectly fine, as Snufkin had already had dinner and he was pretty sure Joxter had caught the wrong kind of fish to make sushi with. 

"Hup. Pfft. I have something I must admit to you, Snufkin." Joxter said, finally.

Snufkin tilted his head, questioningly, and quirked one eyebrow as an invitation for Joxter to continue. 

"It feels a little difficult to say out loud, though I'm not sure why, as I've been planning on saying it for weeks now."

Snufkin continued to stare.

Joxter cleared his throat. "Snufkin...I'm- I'm your pappa."

Snufkin's mouth dropped open. "You-? Are you serious?"

"Yes, of course I'm- I wouldn't lie- I mean, I-I- Snufkin, I'm your father. And I would like to get to know you. That is, if-if you want to."

Snufkin beamed. "How wonderful, I have a father! I didn't know I had one."

"You-" Joxter softened. "-you truly think it's wonderful?"

"Yes, of course. I've gained a pappa since this morning. Why should it not be wonderful? Unless, of course, you've come by to make me follow some rules you made up."

Joxter felt both proud and offended at the same time. "Of course not! I can't stand it when other people tell me to do things, so why should I tell anyone else what to do?"

"Then I think we'll get along just fine...Joxterpappa."

Joxter trembled with relief and he felt his body collapse underneath him. He was grateful for his habit of laying down as much as possible, for it stopped him from dropping to his knees right then and there. Snufkin didn't hate him! And he was alive and safe and wanted to know Joxter and called Joxter his pappa! Joxterpappa covered his face with his paws, but they were gently tugged away by a concerned looking Snufkin. 

"What on earth is the matter, Joxterpappa?"

"I'm just so happy, Snufkin." Joxter told him, then gathered him up in his arms for a hug. Snufkin went willingly and curled into his father's chest. He knew how Joxter felt. He was happy too.

* * *

"Snufkin?"

"Yes, Joxterpappa?"

"How exactly did you meet those woodies at Miss Emma's acting school?"

Snufkin threw back his head and laughed. "Oh, I think you will like that story."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back home and here's the final chapter! I hope it lived up to expectations & please let me know if you liked it! I'm also open to constructive criticism for this one so go wild but don't be a dick about it ;)

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it! :)


End file.
